Angel Incognito
by Number915
Summary: Dealing with the loss of his best friend and feeling abandoned by two of his co-workers, Nick is near his breaking point. But help comes in the form of a new intern. "He is going to help her and in return, unbeknownst to Nick, she is going to save him."
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Nick Stokes walked through the hallway of the Las Vegas Crime Lab pinching the space between his eyes. It was the beginning of his shift after a restless weekend. The past few weeks have been wearing down hard on the Texan's shoulders. Not only has he been assigned to some of the toughest cases of his career but last week marked the one year anniversary of Warrick's death. Losing Warrick gave Nick a new appreciation for his job as a Crime Scene Investigator. Nick always knew that what he did was important, but losing someone close made him realize that behind every victim, is someone like him. Someone who is just as angry as they are sad, someone who wants justice…Nick can provide that justice.

Nick likes to put up the exterior of a tough guy, but inside he is just as soft as anyone. Nick fought hard to hold back is full emotions at Warrick's murder scene last year but he managed, barely but he managed. People saw what he wanted people to see, a man who was put together. He didn't need everyone asking him if he was okay every ten seconds that would have just made it harder. What people didn't see was Nick break down in his car when he parked it in the driveway of his home. He couldn't even hold it until he got into his house; he just sat there, his head on the steering wheel, sobbing like a child. He could only recall one time he had cried that hard and Warrick was there to hold his ant bitten hand.

When Nick cornered the Under-Sheriff in the woods, nobody knows just how close that bullet was to hitting flesh and not dirt. The rage in his body was near impossible to deal with, but just before he pulled the trigger of his 9mm. he thought about Warrick, Grissom and his family back in Texas, and shifted his gun an inch to the right and shot at the ground. Something told him that he was needed, somewhere in the world was someone who needed his help and by God if he wasn't going to help.

Nick has been seeing a therapist for some time now. It started as company policy from when he was attacked and buried alive, but he decided to keep the sessions going from his own wallet. Nick was tired. In fact, Nick was tired of being tired. He misses the way things were, he misses his family back in Texas, his friend Sara who decided to leave CSI, his ex-boss Grissom who eventually left to go to Sara, and most of all he misses his best friend. Just when Nick thought he was going to lose it…she came to save him.

--

Catherine hurried out of her office flying past Nick without as much as a wave, "Whoa," Nick called out, "Catherine, where's the fire?" He joked

"Archie may have broken my case! Here," Catherine shoved a clip board in Nick's hands and began talking quickly in phrases, "Lobby, Elliot Gibson, My office, I'll be there in two minutes."

"Yeah no problem," Nick said understanding her request.

"Thanks Nicky!" She called back as she took of down the hallway in heels.

Nick looked over the clipboard in his hands and apparently the lab was hiring a new CSI. He flipped the front page over and what he saw made his mood worsen, as if that was possible. Greg Sanders appeared at the end of the hallway walking toward him.

"Hey man, your working early. Shift doesn't start for fifteen minutes." Greg said stopping in front of Nick.

"Nah, I just got here. Catherine's busy and she asked me to grab someone from the lobby for her, apparently we're bringing on a new intern."

"What!" Greg said with shock. "Another intern! Man, I thought we met our quota for this quarter."

"Yeah, me too." Nick agreed

"The last girl was cute though." Greg said

"Yeah, but her attitude sucked and not to mention she had no idea what she was doing."

"True that. Well, maybe we'll get lucky this time." Greg said then started walking away toward the locker room, "See you in a few."

"See ya" The cowboy called back.

Nick made it to the lobby but his head was still tilted toward the clipboard. He lifted his head to survey the space but only one seat was occupied. Sitting in the furthest seat away was a girl who looked no older than 25, Nick looked down at her resume to confirm, almost 24 actually. She was dressed how he would imagine a female version of Greg Sanders would dress. She had on a pair of checkerboard vans, some well worn faded jeans, a t-shirt he would put money on was of a band he had never heard of, with a red cardigan over top left unbuttoned. Something about her made Nick think of a child, it could have been the way she was sitting on her left leg, letting her right leg hang back and forth about an inch over the ground. Or the way she was smiling at something on her cell phone as she typed away on the keys. Nick Stokes is a trained observer, and behind the big smile on the girls face he could see a sense of broken. Well put together on the outside, but on the inside she needed help. Nick knew that feeling all to well. She looked up from her phone and met Nick's eyes. The sensation was immediate.

The moment he saw her eyes he knew she was the reason he needed to keep a level head that day in the woods, it was like his head suddenly became clear and a strong sense of protection developed for this girl, whom he had not even met yet. He was going to help her and in return, unbeknownst to Nick, she was going to save him.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Nick sat in the break room with his head in his hands. A newspaper sat in front of him but he wasn't reading it. He just stared at one word on the page 'Elliottt', the Elliottt on the newspaper was the male editor of one of the articles about something Nick didn't care about. The Elliott currently sitting in Catherine's office was the new female intern, that won't stay out of Nick's head. No matter how hard he tried to read the article written by Elliottt Lumen, his mind drifted off to the other Elliott and what happened in the lobby.

As he walked over to the new intern, as suddenly as all the emotions come to him, they were gone. Once he touched her skin in the form of a handshake, and an static shock, she was just the new intern. But Nick couldn't help but wonder about the first impression he had of the girl, where did all those emotions come from. He went over the morning event in his head:

_Nick could throw up. The nerves in his stomach were turning and not at all cooperating with the cheeseburger he had for dinner. Still, he took a deep breathe and started walking to the girl called Elliottt. She stood up noticing his advance and then it was gone._

_The sense of relief was so profound Nick actually sighed. The closer he got to her however his confusion grew. What the hell had just happened?_

"_You must be Elliott Gibson." Nick asked even though he knew it was her._

"_Yes, but I wouldn't have pegged your for a Catherine." She joked, her smile could light up a room, but Nick knew better. It takes one to know one. _

"_Wired, I get that a lot," Nick played along returning her smile. "Catherine's caught up with another case, I'm Nick Stokes. I'm probably the guy you'll get stuck with as a mentor while you're here." He introduced himself as he stuck is hand up. She reached up and they both jerked back as a shock of electricity emitted between their hands._

"_I am so sorry! It's this sweater. It attracts static like magnet."_

Movement by the door of the break room brought Nick out of his trance. He looked up and saw, standing there next to Catherine was the object of his attention. Part of him had hoped that the next time he saw her, the emotions would come back; they made him feel human. Catherine started introducing her to the group and out of the corner of his eye, Nick could see Greg straighten up in his chair at the sight of the newbie.

The scenes were handed out and Nick was lucky enough to be appointed Elliott's mentor for the duration of her internship with Las Vegas. After loading up their kits Elliott hopped in the front seat of the department issued Denali while Nick took the drivers seat.

"Greg isn't driving with us?" She asked seeing the boyish CSI climbing into another black Denali.

"Nah, Greg's the runner today, he'll help us collect for a minute but he'll run all the important stuff from the crime scene's to the lab."

"Oh." She replied fastening her seatbelt.

"So newbie," Nick poked fun, she playfully rolled her eyes, "give me the run down on everything Elliott Gibson." He stated as he pulled out of the parking spot.

"Well, I have one semester left until I graduate with a Bachelor in Forensic Studies. I transferred from Baltimore."

"No shit?"

"Yeah, you been there?"

"Nah, we had a guy from Baltimore a couple years back. You know a Mike Keppler?"

"Yes actually. He was a pretty good friend of my brothers. What else do you want to know?" She asked not knowing how in depth he wanted her to go.

"Anything not work related." Nick laughed

"Nobody usually asks about me so I'm kind of at a loss of what to say." She confessed. Nick glanced over at Elliott, who was currently looking out the passenger side window at the distant view of the strip. Nick went against his better judgment and drove the rest of the ride in silence.

The crime scene was a two bedroom rancher. On the way in Nick introduced Elliott to Caption Jim Brass, who had told them that it was first deemed a suicide but the suspected foul play landed Nick, Greg, and Elliott with the case. The body was in the kitchen with what looked like a self inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Nick told Elliott to lift some prints that were on a glass coffee table in the living room, Greg was lifting prints off the doorknob, and Nick was crouched down on the floor searching the carpet for any evidence.

"So newb, what possessed your mom to name you Elliott?" Nick said conversationally.

"My father's death." she said with a faint smile on her face.

"Damn," Nick immediately stopped what he was doing and look up at Elliott, "I'm so sorry." Nick apologized. Greg gave him a 'way to make the new girl feel comfortable' look

"Don't worry about it. You didn't know. He was a Navy captain; he died just before I was born."

"Must have been tough." Greg added

"Yeah for my mom."

"Got any brothers or sisters?" Nick asked.

"Yep both, I am the youngest of three girls from my mom and dad, then my mom re married when I was 5 which eventually resulted in a little sister, and he had a kid from a prior marriage which gave me an older brother. "

"Big family," Greg Concluded

"It's not so bad. My step dads a good guy, a rich guy so he spoils the crap out of all of us. But he always made it harder for me. I didn't understand it back then but I thank god everyday that I didn't end up like my brother." Elliott picked up a stack of magazines and a note fell out onto her lap. She picked it up and unfolded it so it laid flat. "Ummm, guys I think I just found the suicide note."

Nick walked over to look at the note, "Alright, what can you tell me about the note?" Elliott stood up and walked over to the fridge and pulled off a handwritten note signed by Katrina Morris, the victim. Elliott sat that down on top of the suicide note.

"Look it's the same hand writing, so we know it's definitely the vic's."

"Good," Nick said looking impressed. He shot an approving look at Greg who nodded. "What else?" Nick quizzed her. Taking a closer look and the suicide not she added, "The writing doesn't look forced, there are no broken lines indicating panic. So it's seems genuine."

"Give me your run down of the scene. What do you think happened?"

"Well based on what we got, I would say that she came home from work, the towels are still damp but the shower head is dry so she took a bath, dressed up for a night on the town cause lets face it who wants to die in a bathrobe. She enjoys a few glasses of whine, while writing her well thought out suicide note and then committed suicide." Even though her words drifted away both Nick and Greg knew what she

"Nicely done!" Greg complimented.

"To bad Grissom's not here to see this." Nick said

"See what?" Elliott asked, she knew who Grissom was through his numerous seminars.

"An intern, that actually knows what their doing." Nick answered.

"Awwww thanks, but in order for this to be a suicide we are lacking a key piece of evidence."

"The gun." Greg added matter of fact.

"The gun." Elliott confirmed. She stood up and walked out of sight of the two boys. Both of them let out sighs of relief that not only do they have a smart intern, but an intern that has a personality.

Not even a full minute went by when heard a small scream come from the kitchen. "Elliott!" Nick yelled pulling his gun from its holster, and walked into the kitchen. Elliott was laying on the floor near the fridge holding her arm. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I slid on the blood pool." She said nursing her left arm. Nick let out the breath he didn't know he was holding and replaced his gun on his hip. Sure enough there was a long slick in the blood pull where Elliott's shoe had made contact. "I think I did something to my arm."

"Here let me help you up." Nick walked over to her and held his hand out to help pull her up. She reached up with her right hand and clasped on tight to Nick's hand. At the moment of her touch all the emotions came rushing back to him, he stumbled back a couple steps startled by the sudden impact.

"Oh man, I think I hit my head to hard. I just got really dizzy." Elliott said still lying on the floor now with her hand on her forehead. Nick looked between her and his hand, confused as hell. She moved her head to the right to get the light out of her eyes when she way it. "Holy smokes!"

Nick averted his attention back to Elliott and watched as she slowly got to her knees and reached under the fridge to pull out a small caliber gun. Nick knelt down next to where Elliott sat and examined the gun with her.

"I think we have a print." Nick said

"And look, there's blood spatter on the barrel." Elliott added. Greg, observing from the doorway, walked to his case and then back with print powder, lift tape and a swab. Nick swabbed the barrel, dusted the gun and lifted the print. Explaining what he was doing while Elliott held the gun still.

"Why should you swab the blood before you dust for prints?" Greg quizzed Elliott

"Because you want a fresh blood sample, the print powder gets everywhere."

"Congratulations newbie…you just solved your first case." Nick complimented her.


End file.
